Improvement in mowing-machines



UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE,

O' R' CHAPLIN 0F ST JOHNSBURY, AssIGNoi-t 'ro HIMsELE AND Q HALE, or wATEeEoED, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN MOWlNG-'MACHINE Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 26,5 lll, dated January 10, 1860.

.Fo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORRIL R. CHAPLIN, ot' St. Johnsbury, in the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have invented an Improved MowingNIachine; and I do hereby declare- The nature ot' my invention consists, first,V

in making the cutter bar or holder in sections hinged together so as to enable it to conform to undulations or variations of the surface of the ground while the machineisin use; second, in making th'c device for connecting the tails of the cutters in sections,hinged together and to a connecting-rod, when the cutter bar or holder is constructed in sections, in manner substantially as specied; third, in making each tooth situated at thejunction orjoint ot' each two sections of the cutter-bar in two parts, hinged together and applied to the two sec* tions and their knives or cutters, as and for the purpose hereinafter mentioned; fourth, in combining with the series ot' sections composing the cutter-bar a stitfenel or mechanism applied to it for the purpose ot' sti'ening or supporting it in longitudinal directions whileit may be raised oft'the ground; fth, in combining the cutter-bar, lifting-lever, and the crankshaft of the stiffener together and to the main carriage and the supporting-frame of the cutter-bar, so as to enable a person by means ot' a lateral and backward movement of the lever to raise the cutter-bar frame from the ground and push forward the stift'ener at one and the same time. f

In the drawings, A exhibits the main car. riage or frame of themowing-machine, it being provided with an axle, B, supporting two wheels, G C. These wheels play loosely on the axle, and with the shaft are provided with clutches a a, for connecting them to the shaft in such manner as to cause them to put it in I revolution while they may be in rotary movement. two bent levers, b b, connected with a handlever, c, the whole being arranged as shown in the drawings.

A trame, D, for supporting the cutter F, is arranged underneath the carriage-frame A, and hinged to it, as shown at d, so as to becapable ot' being tilted in a vertical direction. This frame serves to support a cranked shaft, c, and the train ci' gearsfg h, for putting the said shaft in revolutiomsueh train being actuated by a large gear, t', tixed upon Athe axle B, the whole being arranged as shown in the drawings. ln such drawings the vibrating cutters ot" the cutter-bars are exhibited at k kk, each being caused to play between and into two teeth, l m, projecting from the cutter-bar, as shown in the drawings. The said cutterbar is composed ot' a series of part-s or sections, a n n, each of which is hinged to another ot' them, so as to be capable of being turned upward in a vertical direction, the several hinges being shown ato o. Furthermore, each tooth, Z, that projects from the hinge of any two sections is formed in two parts, p q, they being made to project respectively from the two sections, as shown in Figs. 7 and S, which represent separate views of two of the sections in a disjointed state. One ot' the parts-viz.. (1 -projects over the end Vof the other part, l), as shown inFig. and each part has a recess formed in it laterally for the reception of its cutter.

Figs. 9 and l() exhibit edge views of the two cutter-bar sections, and represent, at rand s, the said knife-recesses. By so constructing each of the teeth L two cutters can play freely into them, however the cutter-bar may be curved while on the ground. The several tails, t t t, of the vibratory cutters are jointed at their rear ends to a connection, F, composed of a series of long links, t t t', and a series of shorter links, u u u,jointed or hinged together, the smaller links being arranged respectively at the joints ot' the cutter-har. This connection F is jointed to a connecting-rod, G, whose rearmost end turns on a crank, I, applied to the crank-shaft e. Each ofthe cutters is supported by and turns on a separate fulcrum, o, and thus, whenever the shaft eis put in revo- These clutches are to be operated by lution, the cutters will be caused to vibrate in lateral directions between the teeth of the cutter-bar.

In order to stiften the cutter-bar, so as to en-y able it to be lifted bodily oi the ground while the frame D is being raised upward, there is applied to the cutter-bar what I term a stiltener,L. (See Figs. 5 and 6.) It is composed of a series of bars, w w w, each being formed and arranged in the said cutter-bar as shown in the said figures. The frontend of each of the said bars w not only abuts against the rear end of that section ofthe next bar in advance of it, but projects downward against the rear end of that section of th'e cutter-bar which is next beyond it. Under thesecircum` ystances the act of moving forward the rear- Ymost bar, w, longitudinally will cause each ot' the other bars w to be putin movement in a manner not only to move the bar in advance of it, but press against and support that section of the cuttenbar which ymay be immediately beyond it. The said stiifener L at its rear end is jointed to a shaft, M whose two bearings are respectively supported by the two frames A and D. From one side -of the said shaft M the fulcrum of a lever, N, projects, such lever carrying a sectoral arc, at its lower end. A chain, y, attached to the sectoral arc, passes around a shcave, z, and from thence depends and is attached to the cutterbar carriage D, as shown in Fig. 4. A movement of the lever on its fulcrum suffices to raise the cutter-bar frame, while a lateral movement of it at the same time ei'ects a forward movement of the stilener, a catch, a', serving to lock or hold the lever M while the cutter is thus elevated and stiffened. Were it not for the stiffener the cutter-bar could not be raised o" the ground.

What I claim as my invention is as followsthat is to say:

l. Making the cutter bar or holderE in sections, hinged together in manner and for the purpose substantially as specified.

2. In combination with so making the cutter-bar, making the connection F ot the tails ofthe cutters in sections hinged together and to a connecting-rod, essentially as described.

3. Making each tooth l, situated at the junction or joint of each two sections of the cutter-bar, in two parts, hinged together, constructed, and applied'respectively to the two sections, as and for the purpose specified.

4. Combining with the cutter-bar, made in sections connected as described, a stitfener, L, constructed and made to operate therewith, substantially as described.

5. Combining the lever N and the shaft M together and to the trames A and D, substantially as specified, in order that by means of simultaneous movements of the lever in backward and lateral directions the cutter-bar frame may be elevated and the stiifener impelled forward at one and the same time.

ORRIL R. CHAPLIN. 

